The famous artist goes to the Vatican: after an audience with the Pope, Nikas Safronov holds negotiations with European museums

Recently, most famous artist, Nikas Safronov, met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. The Pope personally blessed him to hold exhibitions in the Vatican and other European countries. Immediately after his audience with the pontiff, Safronov talked to Barbara Jatta, the director of the Vatican Museums. Now, he is preparing works for an exhibition in both the Vatican and Geneva.

The private audience between Pope Francis and one of most renowned contemporary artists took place in a warm atmosphere at the Casa Santa Marta, the Pope’s residence within the Vatican. Safronov presented the Pope with a portrait painted back in 2020, long before this meeting was even envisioned. Nikas Safronov also gave Pope Francis a painting depicting the first place where Francis served—Basilica de San Jose de Flores in Buenos Aires. Notably, this artwork had been aboard the International Space Station from March to September 2022 and ventured out into open space.

«I am grateful to the Pope for this meeting,» said Nikas Safronov. «We talked extensively about culture and the importance of remembering all of humanity’s spiritual heritage. He appreciates art; his surroundings are adorned with paintings by well-known artists, and I’m especially pleased that my work now occupies a place in the pontiff’s unique collection.»

Immediately following his audience with the Pope, Safronov met with Barbara Jatta, the director of the Vatican Museums, to discuss the timeframe of his upcoming exhibition. Afterward, he held a press conference for Vatican and Italian media. A significant outcome was the renewed interest of the European press in art, confirming its global value.

«Art remains a universal language capable of bridging misunderstandings and bringing people together, regardless of their geographical distance,” shared the artist. “My audience with the Pope and subsequent meetings emphasize the primary mission of art today, incorporating my personal mission: to crush boundaries and unite nations. The exhibitions scheduled across Europe will demonstrate that art serves as a bridge connecting different countries and cultures.”

Currently, Safronov is preparing a highly spiritual and moral exhibition for the Vatican, with several potential pieces already having been shown to the Pope during their audience. Following the Vatican show, the artist plans to unveil a unique exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland, dedicated to his muse and long-time friend, the legendary actress Sophia Loren. Key exhibits will include portraits of Sophia painted by Safronov over the years using various techniques—a total of more than 100 works. Remarkably, over 20 of these portraits belong to the personal collection of this Golden Age Hollywood star.

Nikas Safronov’s art has long received international recognition, with his works being part of collections owned by celebrities like Madonna, Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood, Monica Bellucci, Gérard Depardieu, and others. Additionally, many world leaders possess his artworks, including presidents of the United States and Turkey, as well as the kings of Bahrain and Brunei. Since the late 1990s, Safronov has exhibited in numerous countries, such as China, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Italy, Greece, Australia, and beyond. Several years ago, his painting titled «Dreams of Italy» sold at Sotheby’s for $106,000.

This isn’t Safronov’s first encounter with a leader of the Roman Catholic Church. In the early 2000s, he met with Pope John Paul II

Information about the artist

Nikolai Stepanovich Safronov (Nikas) is holder of the title People’s Artist of the Russian Federation, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, Professor and Dean of Faculty of Culture and Art of the Ulyanovsk State University, Professor of the Department of Drawing and Painting of the Kosygin Russian State University (Art, Design, Technology) Laureate of the ‘International Pushkin Prize’ in the nomination ‘Art. Painting’ (2024)

He is a winner of the national award ‘Dean of the Year’ (2024), today he is the most famous and sought-after artist of modern Russia.

He was graduated from Rostov Grekov Art School, Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after M.V.Grekov, Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after V.I.Surikov, Moscow State University of Technology and Management named after K.G.Razumovsky. He was graduated from the K.G.Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technology and Management with a degree in Psychology.

Nikas Safronov’s creative activity began in 1978, when his first solo exhibition was organised in Panevezys, and since then his fame as a bright symbolist, portraitist and experimenter has been growing from exhibition to exhibition, from lecture to lecture, from one creative project to another. Nikas opened a new direction in the world art Dream Vision, but the artist is constantly working in realism.

The maestro of art has had over three hundred and twenty solo exhibitions around the world in the last 10 years.

Hundreds of thousands of people have visited these exhibitions. Entries in visitors’ books show that Nikas Safronov’s paintings are not just liked, but arouse pride in the country and its culture. His works are in many Russian museums, including the Hermitage, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia, as well as in the most famous private collections of such celebrities as Jack Nicholson, Madonna, Meryl Streep, Sophia Loren, Robert De Niro, Montserrat Caballé, Luciano Pavarotti, Elton John, Jean-Paul Belmondo and many other world stars. During his artistic career he has painted portraits of more than 50 presidents and kings around the world.

Nikas has made a great contribution to the world of art thanks to his professionalism and creativity. This is confirmed by his titles and awards.

He received the gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation for his achievements in art. He received many Gold Medals from the Academy of Fine Arts. He received Honorary titles from the CIS countries. Nikas has also been honoured with many awards of the Russian Orthodox Church and a huge number of other public awards and commendations for his art and many years of charity work.